The applicant's raceway system is a fully enclosed cable ducting system that segregates, routes and protects fiber optic cables and jumpers from their point of entry into a building to fiber termination and distribution equipment. In this system, fiber is easily traced and accessed using a convenient lay-in design, and by maintaining complete separation from twisted pair and coax cable. The raceway system is constructed of an assembly of straight channel segments, curved fittings, and channel connectors which are specifically designed to prevent fibers from exceeding the 2-inch minimum bend radius requirement, and to protect the fibers against snagging, crimping and stress.
The channel connector of the present invention is particularly adapted for joining together two straight channel segments arranged end to end in the raceway system. While the channel segments are typically preformed in lengths of 1, 2, 4 and 6 feet, a certain amount of length adjustment is often necessary in order to properly negotiate the system within a given area. Prior to the invention, if a channel segment was too long it would be cut in the field to the desired exact dimension. This process was generally time consuming and required certain tools for cutting, drilling and measuring the segments. The present invention addresses this problem by providing a connector which facilitates installation of the raceway system by allowing linear adjustment of the space between the joined channel segments. The collective length of the joined channel segments can be readily extended or retracted to custom fit the raceway system to the given area.